Thanksgiving was awesome! We got to spend time with our favorite little people (nieces and nephew), Derek’s Dad, bro and sis-in-law in Orlando. It’s the first time we’ve left the boat all by herself in a different city since we started in April. Although the company and food was spectacular (had my first taste of a $200 beer, a 24-year-old Sam Adams Utopia), we actually missed being on our little house on the sea. Wish we could have stolen all the fam to bring back on Donna Mae with us, but we’ll be seeing them again in the Keys. Yay!
Derek and I also got to meet up with a very good friend, Ellen, from our ‘olden days in Texas’ who now lives in Tampa. Don’t you just love when you can get together with friends after 23 years and pick up right where you left off? We got to meet her husband, Murray, and laughed the night away in Clearwater Beach.
Next we spent 2 days with Derek’s Dad at his winter home Venice, FL. Another chance to sleep in a ‘real’ bed and have a long, hot shower in a ‘real’ bathroom for a few days! We repaid Dad’s graciousness by having him join us on the boat for 2 days anchoring off Punta Gorda and Boca Grqnde.
Sadly, our time with Tim and Patti, our faithful companions since Illinois, came to an end. We left them in Punta Gorda as we have different destinations for the winter months. We’ve been so blessed to find soul mates along the way who have made our journey truly special. The Franchies, and now the Crackers (Tim & Patti), will be friends for life.
The following week was spent at the Pink Shell Resort & Marina in Ft Myers. It was pricey, but Derek and I (OK, just me!) are in the mood for splurging since our remaining time on this adventure is running out. Three pools, a private beach, and good restaurants spoiled us. The shelling on the beach was fantastic. I was up before dawn (can you believe it!) to comb the beach while the tide was out. A cold front had dropped the temps into the 50’s, but me and a few other white-haired old ladies were not deterred as we did the bent-over shuffle for miles to find the sea’s treasures. There’s a pic of my booty (not bootie!) attached.
The weather warmed and the waves calmed, so it was time to head for the Keys. Once you head south from Ft Myers, you find yourself in the Everglades….and alone! We anchored 3 nights in a row as we worked our way down to Marathon. The wildlife was INCREDIBLE! We had 8 manatees, dozens of dolphins, and huge flocks of sea birds all around us. At night the stars were awesome with meteor showers every evening. Absolutely no cell coverage, internet or TV signal, so basically, no one can hear you scream if something happens! A lot of time was spent reading and playing games like cribbge, Yahtzee and Farkle.
After 3 nights in the everglades, the winds had calmed down enough for the final push. 45 miles and 4 1/2 hour later, we are now in the Keys at Faro Blanco Marina in Marathon. We have spent so much time looking forward to getting here that being here is almost surreal. It’s our last hurrah before we’re done. Derek and I have been in a very reminiscent mood lately and find it hard to believe that just around the corner we will cross our original wake. We don’t want it to end. But before I get all teary-eyed, we will soak in the thrill of having lots of family coming to see us over the holidays in our tropical paradise! FYI….January 6-14 is open for friends who might like to join us before we head back to the mainland!
Have a very merry Christmas, everyone! Give lots of hugs to each other from us!
PS> Just as I am about to post this, Derek says “Maybe we make a quick run to Cuba after the Keys…” Maybe…. ;)